40 South American Cities Everyone Should Know

Capital and largest city in Argentina

Largest city outside of Asia (by urban area population)

Colombia’s high-altitude capital

Considered to be the Gastronomical Capital of the Americas

Capital and largest city in Uruguay

Capital and largest city in Chile

Highest capital city in the world

Second-highest capital city in the world

Brazil's capital city shaped like a plane

Once considered murder capital of the world, home of a famous cartel

Was made the capital of an European empire in 1808

Considered the blackest city outside of Africa

A popular tourist hub in Colombia, it serves as a gateway to nearby Caribbean islands and beaches.

Constitutional capital of Bolivia, famous for its whitewashed colonial buildings

Colombian city considered the world's Salsa capital

Ecuador’s largest city and economic hub

A major Chilean port city, was home for poet Pablo Neruda

Bolivia’s economic hub with a tropical climate

Ancient capital of the Inca Empire and gateway to Machu Picchu

Capital and largest city in Venezuela

Capital and largest city in Paraguay

Caribbean city, birthplace of singer Shakira and actress Sofía Vergara

Ecuador's largest city and its main commercial port

The heart of Argentina's wine country, especially Malbec

Ski and adventure tourism destination in Argentina with Swiss-style architecture

City on the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls

City on the Argentinean side of the Iguazu Falls

Paraguayan city that shares a border with the two previous ones, the second-largest in the country

Colorful capital of Suriname

A historic metropolis located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest

The second-most populous city in Argentina, famous for its colonial history and prestigious universities

Birthplace of Che Guevara and Lionel Messi

Brazilian Amazon city where the COP30 environmental summit took place in 2025

Its extreme southern location earned it the nickname "The End of the World"

French city at the edge of the Amazon

City in the Altiplano, home to what was once the largest Jesus Christ statue in the world (it's not Rio)

World-renowned for a stunning collection of gigantic geoglyphs etched into the desert floor.

Home to the world's largest salt flat

Considered to have once been the richest city in the world, due to its silver mines

Capital of the fastest-growing economy in the last few years